A study has shown that group meditation could go a long way in curing depression, anxiety and other stress-related disorders.

Meditation will always help, as a study finds mindfulness group therapy has an equally positive effect as individual cognitive behavioural therapy for the treatment of a wide range of psychiatric symptoms in patients with depression, anxiety and stress-related disorders.

The results suggests that various scales measured, among others, symptoms of depression, general anxiety, stress and somatisation, obsessive-compulsive disorder, interpersonal sensitivity, aggression, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation and psychoticism. There was no difference in treatment effect between the two groups.

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Group therapy with mindfulness can be a viable alternative treatment, which at the same will free up resources in healthcare to be used more efficiently.

Our new research shows that mindfulness group therapy has the equivalent effect as individual CBT for a wide range of psychiatric symptoms that are common among this patient group, said lead researcher Jan Sundquist.

Collective meditation has healing powers, a new study suggests. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

The team included 215 patients with depression, anxiety and stress-related disorders.

They studied a broad range of psychiatric symptoms and how these symptoms changed during the treatment.

The results showed that the average score for all 15 different subscales/indexes in the various questionnaires decreased significantly in both scales.

As mental illnesses are increasing at a very fast rate it is absolutely essential to expand the treatment alternatives for this patient group in primary healthcare. Our view is that the scarce resources should be partly reallocated to mindfulness group therapy so that the limited availability of individual psychotherapy can be utilised in an optimal fashion, Sundquist concluded.

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Group meditation may treat depression, anxiety and stress-related disorders: Study - Hindustan Times

In exercise for this topic we focus on skill: Presentations.

This exercise is prepared by the Leaf Academy. It is part of the Spectator College programme and it is linked to the articles: Mortgage state bonus: How the young can cut their living costs and Natural gardens a piece of nature in town.

CONTENT EXERCISE 1: Mortgage state bonus: How the young can cut their living costs EXERCISE 2: Natural gardens a piece of nature in town Recommended Usage and Format for exercises

EXERCISE 1 linked to the article: Mortgage state bonus: How the young can cut their living costs

Lesson Objectives

EXERCISE 2 linked to the article: Natural gardens a piece of nature in town

Lesson Objectives

Recommended Usage and Format for exercises

We believe a discussion-based format is best for achieving the learning objectives. We also believe that using the technique Writing as Thinking helps students to formulate their ideas and practice their writing in advance of the discussion. The degree of facilitator and adult involvement will vary according to student background and secondary objectives.

Writing

Model by being willing to write along with students and also to share your writing with the class.

Let them know before writing if they will be asked to share their writing out loud.

Here writing is first thoughts, so poor spelling, punctuation or conventions are not the focus.

Focus on engaging with ideas.

They do not need to apologize for the quality of their writing.

Discussion

Set expectations for active listening and body language

Engage introverts and extroverts, be mindful of dominant voices

Be mindful of how much you are speaking

Manage time

Encourage students to respond directly to each other, and not through the facilitator, using evidence- I agree with Igors point because

Encourage everyone to draw from evidence in the text to support their points, avoid generalizations

Can you point to a line in the text

Can you help me to understand

Could you give an example

Use techniques to encourage other voices

Lets hear some other thoughts

Lets hear from someone who hasnt contributed yet...

Techniques for managing time/discussion

Put this in the parking lot and move on

Lets pause here

Parts of the lesson

Focused Free Write- an opportunity for students to write freely, but about a specific prompt.

Reflection- an opportunity to think about the lesson, what they have learned and hopefully how it will help them or how it connects to their life

Underlining words- this strategy is a good habit for students and it also allows them more ownership of their vocabulary.

This exercise is prepared by the Leaf Academy and it is part of the Spectator College, a programme created by The Slovak Spectator.

17. Apr 2017 at 2:30 |Compiled by Spectator staff

Originally posted here:

Topic: Housing (Excercise) - The Slovak Spectator

Every parent has days when the frustrations of the job get to them.

Toys are scattered throughout the house, the baby wont sleep and the 3-year-old is climbing onto the roof. Whats a parent to do?

Jordan Able, of Makanda, understands the frustrations and stresses of parenting. She is mom to 3-year-old Jensen and is expecting a baby girl in May.

When asked how she overcomes those frustrations and stresses, she replied Friday that one of the reasons they were at Evergreen Park in Carbondale was it has been one of those weeks.

Getting outside, like spending a day at the park, reduces stress for children and adults. The National Wildlife Federation says a connection to the natural world is essential to the health and development of children.

Benefits include increased fitness, higher levels of Vitamin D, improves distance vision and fewer symptoms of ADHD, among others.

Sometimes, it is throwing out the routine and doing something fun to recharge, Able said.

Dorothy Cozart, of Carbondale, a mom and grandma, has methods to help her cope.

The first thing I do is I pray," she said. "Then I take a long bath and listen to smooth, relaxing music."

When the children are stressed, she takes them to a park.

Fionsha Self of Carbondale is mom and foster mom to eight children, including five who are with her all the time. She has developed what she calls system breathe.

First she counts down from 10. Then, then she inhales and pays attention to the scents around her.

I realize all these beautiful kids are a blessing. They are helping me become who I was meant to be, Self said. Being a foster parent is my calling in life, Self said. I wouldnt trade it for the world.

Shannon Thompson, of Anna, is a mom to boys ages 4 and 7 who are big fans of "American Ninja Warrior" (think running, jumping and climbing). She uses the same advice she gives her sons: Take a long break and count to 10 to deal with anger.

She admitted that, sometimes, she has to raise her voice so the boys know she is serious.

Its hard being a parent," she said "I tried to give up yelling for Lent. I told the boys we are a family and we need to talk nicely to each other."

Zachary and Megan Sims, of Carbondale, have daughters ages 6 and 3. What helps Zachary most is to make sure he and his wife have a strong relationship.

I put a lot of care into our marriage, Sims said. It is important for any parent to have a strong support network of family and friends.

Parents Care and Share of Illinois has a list called 25 Things to do Instead of Hitting or Screaming. Here are a few of their suggestions:

If you can safely leave your kids alone and go outside, walk, jog, bike or run. If you cannot safely leave the kids, take them on a walk.

If its impossible to get outside, jump rope, do jumping jacks or run in place.

Find something to laugh about: cartoons in the newspaper, a funny television program or a silly video.

Bake bread and knead the dough by hand.

Sit down with a cup of tea and do absolutely nothing.

Turn on lively music and dance.

Work in the yard or garden.

Clean out the refrigerator.

Think about ways to reduce stress before it happens.

Self says to enjoy the moments with your children. They will not last forever.

Go here to read the rest:

Parents give advice for dealing with frustration - The Southern

Concertgoers come to rest

Stefan Hoederath/Redferns/Getty

By Nicole Kobie

A baby falling back to sleep at 2 am to a gentle lullaby may convince its parents that music can induce sleep, but new compositions designed to help listeners relax sound rather different to Rock-a-bye Baby.

Boston-based start-up Sync Project uses biometrics to tailor music to your mood. Its Unwind app measures your heart beat via your smartphones accelerometer and uses these readings to tweak a relaxing ambient track by UK band Marconi Union. After listening, you take a brief survey. How relaxed do you feel?

Music can be used for everyday wellness as well as for clinical applications, says Sync Project co-founder Ketki Karanam. Relaxation and sleep was an obvious place to start. We decided to start by focusing on relaxation as we felt that was one area where people were using music to calm themselves down or relax, she says. And people with sleep conditions are often looking for drug-free ways to sleep better.

As well as the Unwind app, the company plans to collect biometric data from attendees at an overnight performance of neoclassical composer Max Richters eight-hour album Sleep designed to help people nod off at the Barbican in London next month.

Concertgoers will be invited to wear activity-tracking URA rings, which also monitor heart rate and body temperature. In addition, the volunteers will wear the rings while going to sleep at home, with and without the aid of Richters composition.

The Sync Project team will then analyse the readings for insights into how the music might affect sleep and relaxation. Participants will also report back on their stress and relaxation levels before and after listening to the music.

Ultimately, Sync Project aims to develop its own AI-based music treatment tools for different situations, from everyday wellness to clinical applications. Karanam even points to studies examining musics impact on people affected by conditions such as Parkinsons, Alzheimers and strokes.

But neuroscientist David Eagleman at Stanford University in California, who was an adviser to Richter on the Sleep album, is sceptical. Repetitive, unsurprising music helps the brain go into a relaxed state but does little more, he says.

Music has certain obvious ways it can excite or relax us, but there are limits and it certainly cant replace real treatments, he says. In the Parkinsons research, music could help people keep their muscles moving better and stop them freezing while walking, he says but clapping works just as well.

Music can be a useful distraction, which can help with insomnia or pain relief, says Kevin Morgan, director of the Clinical Sleep Research Unit at Loughborough University, UK. That said, if the presenting insomnia is so mild it can be effectively managed with Spotify, its unlikely to have been a major clinical issue in the first place, he says.

Controlled, academic tests of Sync Projects tools remain necessary, as people who opt in to use them are already likely to be music fans, Morgan says. Keep in mind that those who like listening to music as a lifestyle choice do so because it delivers emotional/psychological benefits, he says. That it also delivers these benefits to the same people when theyre sick would be unsurprising.

More on these topics:

The rest is here:

Start-up uses biometrics to tailor music for good night's sleep - New Scientist

Greetings and salutations to the first installment of Tales From The Third Eye! If youre already laughing at the thought of magical crystals and saging your house to cleanse negativity then I dont think this article is for you. I advise you to stay though, learn something, and let these words guide you. Maybe you will begin your spiritual journey too.

The topics discussed in this article come from personal knowledge gained on my own spiritual journey, from the community of spiritual individuals I surround myself with, the books I consume, basic research, and from the experiences I have embraced.

The topics are brief, but stay tuned because the articles to come will discuss each topic and other related subjects with a deeper understanding to help those who are seeking guidance for their body, mind, and spirit. From the Violet Child herself, I am learning every day.

Todays lesson?

15 Things to Know About a Spiritual Awakening!

Raise Your Vibration

Everything in the Universecontains energy that vibrates on different frequencies, including solid objects and you and me. According to Cassandra Sturdy, weare a being that is made up of different energy levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Each of these levels has a vibrational frequency, which combine to create your overall vibration of being. When youre low, youll know. When youre high, youre in flow.

Sometimes stuff happens, so the shift can happen. What matters in any situation is how you handle it. Since my spiritual awakening, when faced with negativity, I do two things: distance myself and raise my vibration. Im not hiding from the negativity in my life, I will face it head on. However, I find it beneficial for myself to not surround myself with people or places that lower my vibration.

Learning how to raise my vibration in lifes many sticky situations feels like a superpower. It feels like you cannot be touched. Raising your vibration can help you in your hardest times and even the smallest, most superficial situations. You learn to just not care what people are saying and think about you, because the ones who do arent on your same frequency. Youre untouchable. This superpower has allowed me to freely express myself without caring what other people think. Since I have begun surrounding myself around more wandering, loving souls, I dont worry about those on the outside. Being on a higher frequency allows you to live in a bubble that isnt busting anytime soon.

The Law of Attraction

The power of manifestation is a powerful life hack that anyone is capable of experiencing. The Secret? The law of attraction.

Its simple. What you emit, you will receive. The universe will conspire to give you what you ask for. If you continuously have negative thoughts, you will receive negativity in return. But, if you keep a positive outlook on life, its bound to be returned. This change of outlook on life works almost immediately with serious results. Positive outcomes in life manifest faster and faster the more you apply positive affirmations, and it all begins with changing how you think.

Truthfully, this has changed my entire life. Once I began emitting positivity into my thinking and actions, I saw a shift. When I began thinking I can do anything I put my mind to things happened. Opportunities I was reaching for began trickling my way. My dreams dont seem so far away these days. Im not where I want to be yet, but Im aware that I can make it happen with a positive mindset. Negativity will destroy your soul and inner peace.

Living By The Moon

I was recently with a friend who told me her life gets extremely messy whenever the moon is full. Living by the moon is beneficial at times, but can be roughif you dont know how to stay in control.

Tuning your spirit into the lunar cycles is allowing yourself to take a natural process of growth in your day-to-day life. You are now understanding the rhythm of life the chaos, the new beginnings, the beauty that is offered.

Each cycle is a new period of growth. One cycle youre a seedling, the next youre sprouting, and the following youre a beautiful flower. Living by the moon is a natural evolution opportunity. Each cycle is an unfolding of life, allowing us to live in the present. The moon allows us to understand the powerful transitions happening in our lives.

As shown above, each cycle serves as a new period of growth and it is wise to take advantage of the experiences you can obtain. According to Moon Phase Astrology by Raven Kaldera, the following is how you can live by the light of the moon.

So why do so many people fear the full moon?

Energy is the highest on the full moon. Those who live by the moon often experience weird moments such as strangers coming up to them more often, drama, and negative emotions.

As for the details tune in for future articles.

Ridding Bad Vibes

It is human nature to care what others are saying and think about you. However, how you handle the bad vibes you are receiving is entirely up to you. Since my spiritual awakening, I let more and more things brush off my shoulder and will just raise my vibration instead.

If raising your vibration isnt enough, there are plenty of ways to rid the negative energy clogging your life. Here are just a few suggestions

Spirituality Doesnt Mean Being Happy All The Time

There is a common disbelief that someone who is spiritual is supposed to be happy every single second of the day. This is associated with the hippy stereotype. However, being happy versus being positive is very different. Being spiritual means experiencing every single emotion in the human existence because every single emotion serves a purpose and has its lessons. Nicole Tustin explains, when you attempt to only be happy, you are blocking out all the lessons and knowledge that comes to you when you fully embrace the other emotions. These other emotions include sadness, anger, anxiety, fear, and so much more. Do not suppress these sensations, they are beautiful, and could come out at a later time in life causing a deal of trouble.

You will not fully experience life as a human being if you dont take on the depth of emotion. On your spiritual journey, you must honor and consent to the other emotions, so they can teachyou something valuable that you need at the current phase of life youre meeting.

Being a spiritual person doesnt mean faking happiness for other people. There is community in sharing your emotions and thoughts with other spiritual people and allowing yourself to manifest these emotions into something greater in life.

Let It Go & Ride The Wave

I was once told that despite how loving and open you are with someone, people can only meet you as deeply as theyve met themselves. Ive had my fair share of hardships, maybe too many, but each has served as a valuable life lesson. It has taught me that rising above in every situation, has positive results for myself. All in all, I have learned it is easier to take negativity with a grain of salt. Nowadays, when someone does me wrong, I try to nod my head and continue on. Im no longer forced to have interactions with people, like I was in high school for example. If I dont vibe with someone, I dont have to be friends with them or surround myself with them. Even if someone doesnt apologize to me, I forgive them. If I cant forgive, I cant live a peaceful life. Though this notion is hard sometimes, I have found my life to be more beautiful and free when I let things go and ride the wave, because after all, that is what life is; an ongoing wave of ups and downs.

Crystal Lovin

Crystals can help you heal physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Yet, they do so much more than just heal. The more you learn about crystals, the more effective and beneficial they become.

Everyone is intrigued by crystals and gemstones.. The precious stones are prized and bring light into thousands of lives. Though valued for their beauty, each stone has a sacred meaning, properties, and are extremely powerful.

Crystals demand attention and respect from their seekers. Most people dedicate a day to cleansing their crystals and meditating with them to tune their energy into them. Crystals are efficient transmitters of energy, and neglecting to charge, cleanse, and attune into them will result in no benefits. Though some crystals are self-cleansing, most require attention to do their regular work of ridding negative energy and bringing light into your life.

Though each crystal has its own unique properties; there is one for every quality you are seeking. Whether to bring or release, crystals are beneficial to those who accept their energy. Love, happiness, inner peace, courage, depression, anxiety, denial, good luck, forgiveness, laziness, passion, self-esteem you name it.

According to The Crystal Bible, crystals work through resonance and vibration, rebalancing the biomagnetic sheath that surrounds and interpenetrates the physical body and activating linkage points to the chakras that regulate the bodys vibrational stasis.

Meditation is Essential

Meditation, no matter the time or day, will lift your mood. Not only is it scientifically proven that it is healthy for you to do, it is spiritually, emotionally, and mentally benefiting ifpracticed everyday.

Personally, I like to lay down when I meditate because then I am the most relaxed. In the beginning, I enjoyed using guided meditation videos on Youtube, but I shy away from it now and will listen to relaxing music instead with headphones!

Meditation does change your brain, your everyday mindset, and your spirit. It takes your mind off the past and future and tunes you into right now.

Through meditation, I have gained so many great spiritual influences. My intuitionis stronger, I can sense energies easier (especially negative vibes), and I can tune into other peoples emotions.

Some people think mediation is just saying ommm over and over. That is a form of mediation, but I like to use the technique of focusing mostly on breathing and pulling myself into the now. I observe my body and thoughts. I accept my emotions and situations, and then I let them go with an open heart.

Advanced techniques include using mantras and mala beads.

For beginners, I truly do suggest using guided mediation videos and music to help create a peaceful space for you to tune into your mediation.

Theres Power In Now

The only moment that you ever get is the now. In order to live in the now you have to desert your analytical mind, self, and the ego.

I was given the book The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle by a friend and it truly helped shape my profound outlook on time, thinking, and brought spiritual enlightenment as promised.

In the normal, mind-identified or unenlightened state of consciousness, the power and creative potential that lie concealed in the Now are completely obscured by psychological time. You cannot find yourself by going into the past. You can find yourself by coming into the present. Life is now. There was never a time when your life was not now, nor will there ever be. The Power of Now

For more on this phenomenon, I recommend reading Tolle.

Balancing Your Chakras

Chakras are wheels of energy at the main seven points in our body. Nicole Tustin explains in Chakras For Beginners, our bodies as rivers and the energy flows through them. Each chakra is a swirling pool of energy. When there is a blockage keeping the energy flow moving freely, bad sensations occur. Energy can come in and out of your chakras and it is up to you on how you care for them.

There are over 88,000 chakras in our body and aurora, but there are only seven main chakras that run up and down our spine.

There are many ways to clear your chakras. What works for me, might not work for you, and vise versa. You can practice meditation, yoga, positive affirmations, using creativity, reiki therapy, essential oils, crystals, and connecting to the Earth, to keep your chakras in balance.

Reading Energy as an Empath

Ah, the power of being an empath a blessing and a curse at the same time.

According to The Empath Universe, an empath is someone who has the power to feel and manipulate the emotions of others. Empaths often have mood-swings, or are classified as bi-polar, but its simply the emotions of others around you. You are often one that people turn to for guidance, for your uncanny ability to make people feel better, to reduce their anger or depression. The bad side is that you tend to often feel others emotions and confuse them as your own, and act upon them accordingly, confusing and possibly scaring or angering others.

Being a highly intuitive empath is an ocean of motion. Vibrations from others energies come to you left and right, and you cant seem to hide from it no matter what you do. An empath truly feels what others are feeling we are absorbing the emotions we interact with. Being with a group of people, it is easy to tell who is lying, who is upset, who is judging you, who is faking kindness, and so forth. It is hard being in a room with a lot of tension. Energy does not lie to an empath. Continuously, I have said my feelings for a person based on the energy I received, only for it to turn out true. Empaths rely on the energy they receive from others and trust it fondly. We have a knack at being right about people and situations.

Empaths are very emotional and often labeled as sensitive. I grewup in a family with tough females; as an empath lacking thick skin, my sensitivity often falls asan insult. However, I embrace being able to feel things at a deeper level than others, because it does have its benefits.

Empaths crave solitude to recharge and get away from the flood of sensations. Empathstend to have depression and anxiety due to the weight of emotions they are continuously fed hence the curse part of being an empath. But, as I mentioned, it is also a blessing.

We have a lot of soul and plenty love to offer. By absorbing others energies, we are able to filter and manifest others sadness and frustrations and emit our own heart-felt emotions in return. Being an empath means being able to send love to others when they need it the most and that is an astonishing superpower to possess.

Ideologies Will Divide Us

Judgement, politics, religion they are all ideologies that only divide us. Naturally as a spiritual individual and thriving journalist, these topics interest me deeply. That is one part of the spiritual awakening you begin questioning ideologies immensely. These questions may never get answered until we slip into the big sleep, but that is one of the most stunning parts about being on the spiritual journey you get to explore these deep thoughts. To others, you may appear strange, crazy or even on drugs but just know, you arent alone in this bottomless realization of life. There are people everywhere raising their vibrations and working to make this world beautiful for all.

Personally, I dont stand with a political party because I can see and understand opinions on each side. That is part of being an empath being able to step into others shoes. However, socially, dont be confused, I stand with every human being.

As for religion, I am not Christian, I am not Buddhist, I am not anything. I believe wherever we came from, we derived from the same source, and we manifested together. I believe in searching for your identity by yourself freely.

I believe there is something greater than us, but for now, I dont know. I respect all religions because I would hope I am respected for my beliefs.

Luckily, this spiritual journey has allowed me to explore ideologies without standing with them. As Ziggy Marley said, love is my religion!

Social Media? Find You In Nature

Social media is to socializing as reality TV is to reality Nahko

Disconnecting is the greatest feeling in the world. I still use my social media pages and have debated deleting them altogether unremittingly. Due to my career path, social media is essential. However my intake on social media has gone down significantly. I choose wisely on who I follow and who I allow into my personal life do we actually interact in real life? Does this person really care about me? Sometimes Ill take weekly breaks and they help change my mindset. Its nice to get away from the superficial side of things. However, I do think social media can be used for great causes.

This is a part of the spiritual awakening you start becoming aware of what you are feeding your mind and spirit. So I began thinking, who are we really? This is why and when I turn to nature.

When I need to be grounded, I turn to nature always. I enjoy walking barefoot, whether its in the grass, soil, or sand there is an energy benefit to it. Earthing is a real process I advise everyone to take advantage of. When walking in soil barefoot, you will absorb negatively charged electrons which ultimately balance positively charged free radicals, according to an integrative cardiologist Stephen Sinatra.

Being outside charges yourself, just like it would with your crystals, the energy from the sun soaks into your skin and renews you. The oxygen, free space, and being surrounded by plants is critical if you want to connect to the universe and yourself. Why else do you think people get the winter blues? Nature is your best friend!

Creativity For Recharging

Music is your special friend, dance on fire as it intends The Doors

You can thank the Lizard King himself for that one.

When Im feeling out of touch with my own energy and soul, I solemnly turn to creativity. One of my favorite ways to recharge is by listening to music. I have always felt music is essential for a healthy mindset. No matter what my mood is, if I put my favorite songs on, Im instantly feeling better, especially if dancing is included.

Another form of creativity I take on is if you havent noticed writing! Ive been a storyteller before I could even put words into sentences. First I would draw to tell stories, then I would write, and eventually they turned into notebooks upon notebooks filled from front to back, every corner, scribbled with words. It was a passion I was born with; a love of mine I am fortunate enough to be turning into a career. I never had to question what I was going to do with my life because my soul already inquired the answers. Creativity is something very keen to me.

Another thing I like to turn to when Im feeling the blues, is painting. Im not a Van Gough, but something about making art makes me feel very relaxed and at peace. It takes my mind somewhere else all my energy is placed into the canvas in front of me.

No matter what interests you, any form of creativity is an abundant way to recharge your body, mind, and spirit.

The Universe Speaks To You

Synchronicities I cannot stress this enough. Since my awakening, I experience synchronicities multiple times a day. Honestly while writing this article, I have encountered multiple synchronicities which leads me to believe this is a sign from the Universe that writing this message is beneficial for not only me, butfor others seeking guidance.

Synchronicities are coincidences that appears significantly connected but have no apparent casual relation. These moments are dreamlike realities and when the universe openly reveals them to us, it is a sign that you are on the right path. Synchronicities can be something as simple as seeing the same number over and over again, or having a specific song stuck in your head then hearing it in the store or in your car. It is hard to understand and appreciate these little discoveries until you experience the realm for yourself.

Synchronicities happen a lot to people who are undergoing a spiritual awakening because the individual is waking up to the universe, specifically the dreamlike nature of our world. These moments should not be taken lightly they demand our partaking, you cannot simply sit by and be unaffected. You will know when you experience a synchronicity and you will not question it. They will transform you on a cellular level because they seep into your consciousness, a part of you that is now awakened.

For more information about synchronicities and how the Universe speaks to you I shall save for another time. In the meantime, I advise you to read up on Carl Jung and his work on synchronicities (which is so magnificent he spent 20 years studying them until releasing a book about them!)

There are many attributions that come along with a spiritual awakening, but the following fifteen topics are what I found most critical to discuss.

Continued here:

15 Things To Know About a Spiritual Awakening - UWM Post

An hour of relaxation can be hard to schedule for today's busy adult, but many do so at the Tahlequah Public Library.

On the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, locals meet up for "Inside the Lines: Adult Coloring Group."

The favorite children's activity now has adults trying their best to stay within the lines, but in the end, it's the calming benefits of coloring that bring residents to the table.

Elizabeth Wood, who attended Wednesday, labeled the time as a getaway from the large family she has back home.

"I love them, but everyone needs time to themselves now and then," she said. "It's also nice to catch up with my friend and just get an hour of quiet time."

Wood's friend, May Rigsby, joined the group, and said it reminded her of her teaching days.

"I taught school for many years," she said. "I used to color with the kids, and now I've realized that I miss it."

The group offers adults coloring utensils, a canvas and relaxing background music. Tom Mooney, a volunteer at the library, picked music for Wednesday meant to calm people during one of their most stressful times: childbirth.

"I was looking for something slow and relaxing," Mooney said, smiling. "So, childbirth music."

Mooney said he can feel childish while working on a coloring book, and it's not a bad way to spend an hour.

Wanda Corn, also on hand to relax, said the quiet setting, in addition to the soothing music, blocks out the rest of the world. That's a common sentiment in the group, as Pam Elkins feels the same.

"It takes away a lot things that are going on in my life," Elkins said. "This is the only place it's just me and I don't have to deal with the problems I have in the outside world. It just helps me, because I do have a lot of health problems and it gets me out of my house and lets me interact with other people. We all end up finding someone and start chatting. It's just fun to do."

The group is called Inside the Lines, but that type of restriction doesn't fly with the adults at the group on Wednesday. Elkins said she often tends to color over the lines.

"There's no one really there to tell you, 'no, don't do that color,' or 'do this,'" she said. "Once we step out the doors, we have to go back to world like everybody else who has problems. When we're in here, this is my freedom. I get to relax, color and I don't have to worry about anything."

Get involved

The next Inside the Lines is April 25, 6 p.m. For more Tahlequah Public Library events, visit the library's Facebook page.

Read more here:

Grown-ups find relaxation with coloring - Tahlequah Daily Press

Bradenton Herald

These puppies deserve the best; now they have it Bradenton Herald Inside the whelping room where mother dogs give birth, speakers send out gentle sounds of relaxing music. Every puppy activity area has access to fresh water fixtures and to an outside play area. Everything in this building is for education and ... and more »

See the rest here:

These puppies deserve the best; now they have it - Bradenton Herald

New York Times

One Artist's Melancholy Look at Missing African-American Women New York Times Once she took her first pass, she would come back and listen to softer, more relaxing music, like Billie Holiday's. Then Ms. Hinkle would take calligraphy pens to add color and texture to faces, curves, breasts and hair. It was her way of providing the ...

Read the original:

One Artist's Melancholy Look at Missing African-American Women - New York Times

A Central Michigan University graduate student from Midland is helping to investigate whether meditation can help people change their perceived personal space.

A Central Michigan University graduate student from Midland is helping to investigate whether meditation can help people change their perceived personal space.

CMU students researching effects of meditation on personal space perceptions

A Central Michigan University graduate student from Midland is helping to investigate whether meditation can help people change their perceived personal space.

The research has the potential to help people overcome conditions such as claustrophobia and social anxieties as well as improve athletic performance. Nathan Houle, a sophomore psychology major and religion minor from Midland, and Jessica LaLone, a senior psychology and Spanish major from Auburn Hills, are co-leading the research project.

A lot of the meditation Ive worked with manipulates the sense of the body in space, Houle said. With the meditation, we focus our attention on peoples visualization, and there isnt a lot of research being done in this area.

The student research team is working under the direction of experimental psychology faculty members Emily Bloesch and Chris Davoli. Students conduct their research using a pool of participants who are tested on their relation to objects in front of them and then are retested on the same objects following several meditation sessions.

Whenever I meditate I know my perception shifts in many ways, so learning specifics about this interested me, LaLone said. This research is beneficial for many reasons; however, the reason that excites me the most is that we could discover if meditation helps us expand both the mental and physical space around us.

Project development began in October, and pilot testing started in February. Members of the research team hope to test at least 60 students this semester, said researcher Valencia Smith, a senior psychology major and family studies minor from Detroit.

Its going to take some time to pull the information together and analyze it, but we are very encouraged by what were seeing initially, she said.

As faculty members and researchers, Bloesch and Davoli concentrate on the recently developed concept of embodied cognition, which theorizes that peoples cognition goes beyond the brain and is shaped by peoples positioning in space.

The brain is responsible for motor skills and reacting to outside influences, but how people understand and respond to situations is directly connected to the physical capacity of their bodies, Bloesch said. For example, people judge hills to be steeper when theyre wearing a heavy backpack because it would take more effort to climb to the top.

The brain isnt out there on its own its set in the body, which is the only way we can navigate the environment, she said. What we do with our body changes the way we see the world.

Davoli and Bloesch had presented to the students the broad idea of studying meditation and body space, based on recent findings showing the relationship between meditation and other forms of cognition. The idea for researching the impact meditation has on peoples visualization of the space around them was entirely developed by the students, Davoli said.

A couple of the students came to them with the idea to compare the effect of different types of meditation on body space and introduced them to the meditation app and website headspace.com that helps to provide meditative insights for the research.

This is a project that the students built from the ground up, he said. The students connected with Headspace administrators, and through our relationship with the organization, we get experimental control and ecological validity for the research.

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CMU students researching effects of meditation on personal space - Midland Daily News

A free Heartfulness Meditation workshop will be held 2 to 4 p.m. April 23 in the Assembly Room at the A.K. Smiley Public Library, 125 W. Vine St., Redlands.

According to Shitij Mehta, who will lead the workshop, Heartfulness Meditation is a simple and natural path of heart-centered wellness that fosters balance, peace and well-being.

The introductory practices include a relaxation exercise and a Heartfulness Meditation.

This approach to wellness centers on using the heart to guide people on their journey to personal development and inner enrichment, according to Mehta. By focusing attention on the heart, people gradually learn to regulate the mind while exploring the secrets of the heart, according to Mehta.

Training in Heartfulness Meditation takes the focus and attention from the mind to the heart, according to Mehta. People feel a relief from stress and anxiety as they begin to experience life through the serenity of their hearts. Heartfulness Meditation fosters healthier and more positive relationships by increasing ones capacity for empathy, joy and love, according to Mehta.

Heartfulness Meditation gives people an opportunity to discover their inner selves and their connection with the whole of life, according to Mehta.

The workshop is offered free of charge through the Heartfulness Institute, a nonprofit organization.

Heartfulness welcomes people from all secular and faith backgrounds.

Source: A.K. Smiley Public Library

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Try a Heartfulness Meditation workshop at the AK Smiley Public Library - Redlands Daily Facts